On a recent cruise to the southern islands of Japan, one of the highlights was my day spent on Jeju Island in South Korea. It was a reunion with Seohyung Im, I call her June. She came to Hawaii many years ago to stage/intern with me and learn about Hawaii Regional Cuisine. She is now the chef of her family restaurant called Baruwat. ‘Baru’ means “sea” in Jeju dialect. ‘Wat’ refers to a field. She invited us to have lunch.
June picked us up at the pier and immediately took us to a market where she bought many things for the lunch she was preparing. After a short stop at her friend’s tangerine farm and a shot of espresso, off we went into the country to her restaurant. June is very proud of the food and ingredients that come from Jeju Island and she prominently lists where they come from on her menu. She is young, well traveled and has seen a lot, so there is a creative part of her that I saw in some of her presentations. She made a fermented won bok kimchi using tangerine juice; I absolutely loved it for so many reasons. She balances tradition with modern ideas. I can see that she has grown and will continue to do so with confidence. There are a growing number of talented young Korean chefs who want to tell the world that Korean food is among the best cuisines. June is one of them and wants to spread the word to everyone through her food about her homeland, Jeju Island.
I finally sat down and started to look at the menu, even though she had already made the menu. The menu begins and ends with her words: “I sincerely convey my heart to you with the things that come out of Jeju’s rough land and sea. Putting Jeju food on a plate also contains the lives and stories of our local people. I will put Jeju ‘now’ in a bowl so you can feel the past and the present of Jeju life.” Wow; that made me smile … and made me hungry.
Lunch was incredible. I was so happy for June; I tasted Jeju Island. The Jeju pork was excellent, raised in the natural Korean way, and was presented in a way I had never seen before. Abalone, tilefish, so many side dishes, three different rice pots, pickles and, of course, kimchi.
The table was full of dishes from one end to the other.
This wasn’t just Korean food; it was a regional cuisine showcasing what was from the island influenced by the tastes of the local people, prepared by a talented chef who has gone away and come back with some fresh ideas.
The last page of her menu read, “Letter delivered in a bowl.
“Food embodies people’s stories and lives. Tasting and getting to know the local food becomes a process of understanding the local area. Baruwat prepares the most ‘Jeju style Korean table’ with local ingredients. I was born and raised in Jeju. So, cooking Jeju food is a way of not losing or forgetting our natural life. The lives of family and neighbors are deeply embedded in my memory. At Baruwat’s table, I offer you the feeling of Jeju and the stories of our people like a letter. I hope you can taste the hearts of Jeju Island.”
These moments are one of the reasons I love to travel. You make new friends, you reunite with familiar ones, and you create once-in-a-lifetime memories together. I will always keep close to me June’s words and remember our lunch together on Jeju Island, until we meet again.
Chef and restaurateur Alan Wong has wowed diners around the world for decades, and is known as one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine. Find his column in Crave every first Wednesday. Currently, Wong is dba Alan Wong’s Consulting Co.
